PARIS (Reuters) – The French Open first round continues on Tuesday with American Coco Gauff and Germany’s Alexander Zverev in action, while Novak Djokovic launch his bid to claim a 25th Grand Slam title.
TOP MEN’S MATCH: ZVEREV V TIEN
Despite his victory at the Munich Open in April, world number three Zverev has largely failed to impress since he reached the Australian Open final in January.
Zverev was beaten in his opening match in Monte Carlo and failed to reach the semi-finals in Rome and Madrid, while also suffering an illness and losing in the round of 16 at his home Hamburg Open last week.
The German said he was still optimistic about his chances, however, pointing to the manner in which Carlos Alcaraz won last year’s tournament.
“Last year Carlos was being asked the same questions, because he had a very bad clay court season, and he came in here, was maybe struggling a bit more in the early rounds, but then found his rhythm and won the tournament,” Zverev told reporters.
“I’m not saying that will happen to me, but of course that’s what I’m looking for.”
Third seed Zverev begins his campaign against American Learner Tien, who claimed a shock win when the two met in the Mexican Open this year.
TOP WOMEN’S MATCH: GADECKI v GAUFF
Gauff will look to hit the ground running after a promising clay swing in which she reached back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome, with the American facing 91st-ranked Olivia Gadecki of Australia in her opening match.
“(Clay results) definitely gives me a lot of confidence with the results over the last few weeks, but I think just putting those results in the past and focusing on the next two weeks here,” Gauff, a French Open finalist in 2022, told reporters.
“I think just taking it match by match, point by point, and hopefully I can end up there. If not, I’ll go back to the practice and figure out what I can do to do better.”
DJOKOVIC HUNTS ELUSIVE RECORD
After winning the Geneva Open on Saturday and following in the footsteps of Roger Federer and American Jimmy Connors to become the third man in the Open Era to win 100 ATP titles, Djokovic will have his sights set on another record.
The Serb is aiming to capture a 25th major crown that will see him move past Margaret Court and take sole possession of the all-time record, and will begin his quest with a first-round match against Mackenzie McDonald.
Djokovic has been below his best since his run to the Australian Open semi-finals in January where he retired injured, and he is also without a coach after parting ways with fellow former world number one Andy Murray this month.
FRENCH OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON TUESDAY (prefix number denotes seeding)
COURT PHILIPPE-CHATRIER (play begins at 1000 GMT)
Varvara Gracheva (France) v 31-Sofia Kenin (U.S.)
Olivia Gadecki (Australia) v 2-Coco Gauff (U.S.)
Mackenzie McDonald (U.S.) v Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Gael Monfils (France) v Hugo Dellien (Bolivia)
COURT SUZANNE-LENGLEN (play begins at 0900 GMT)
6-Mirra Andreeva (Russia) v Cristina Bucsa (Spain)
3-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v Learner Tien (U.S.)
Anca Todoni (Romania) v 3-Jessica Pegula (U.S.)
Mattia Bellucci (Italy) v 5-Jack Draper (Britain)
COURT SIMONNE-MATHIEU (play begins at 0900 GMT)
11-Daniil Medvedev (Russia) v Cameron Norrie (Britain)
25-Magdalena Frech (Poland) v Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
Corentin Moutet (France) v Clement Tabur (France)
14-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) v Alycia Parks (U.S.)
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
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